1.12 First Song:

 

1:17 Mental health in sport, issues being addressed at the Olympics

Today US Gymnast Simone Biles dropped out of the Olympic team final, saying she needed to prioritise her mental health.

So what's causing athletes at the pinnacle of their sport to chuck it all in before even attempting to medal?

Sport Psychologist Gary Hermansson talks to Jesse about the mental pressure on athletes and how it should be addressed.

Simone Biles gets ready to compete in the uneven bars event of the  artistic gymnastics women's qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on 25 July 2021.

Photo: AFP

1:27 20 years capturing club rugby on camera

For the past two decades, Jason Bartley, or "Bart" as he's better known, has been photographing club rugby action from his hometown of Whanagamata.

That's meant he's got 40 thousand photos to share, which can be seen on his facebook page.

Bart talks to Jesse about his hobby and how an injury playing led him to start snapping from the side lines.

One of Bart's club rugby photos

One of Bart's club rugby photos Photo: https://www.facebook.com/bartsrugby

1:37 Amanda Palmer has some special small hall performances on Waiheke

We talk to an accidental resident here in New Zealand - Amanda Palmer about her upcoming performances.

She's about to undertake a small hall crawl on Waiheke Island this weekend for her fans and the locals - she'll be joined by two other Waiheke dwellers Princess Chelsea and Maori drag artist Constance Maraj.

She talks to Jesse about her time here and why she's not leaving anytime soon.

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Photo: Allan Amato

1:55 Afternoons Quiz Robert Kelly

RNZ producer and onetime bookseller Robert Kelly presents his weekly quiz.

 

2.12 Podcast Critic: Alix Higby

Today the newest member of the Afternoons production team, Alix Higby, shares her thoughts on the podcasts she's been listening to. She talks to Jesse about Spectacle: An Unscripted History of Reality TV, Resistance and Welcome to Your Fantasy.

2:25 Bookmarks with Krista Dixon

Tauranga-based charity Live For More runs surf therapy programmes for disengaged young men.

Its founder Krista Dixon tells Jesse about the benefits of 'surf therapy' and some of her favourite things!

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Photo: Supplied

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Photo: supplied

3:10 Michael Pollan on plant based drugs affecting our bodies

For years Michael Pollan told us about what happens to our bodies when we eat plants. Now  he wants the world to have a more open and honest conversation about  what happens when we consume psychoactive plants — not just hallucinogens, but also caffeine and opium. He laments the world’s dysfunctional relationship with drugs that may have therapeutic benefits in his latest book, This Is Your Mind on Plants.

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

This week on Our Changing World - Claire Concannon speaks to researchers from the University of Waikato about a condition called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport - where athletes don’t take in the right amount of calories to do the high intensity exercise they are doing.

Katie Schofield speaks about her PhD work in this area, as well as her personal experiences as an elite athlete with this condition. Holly Thorpe explains why the problem is much more complex than just calories intake, and why it is important to research this condition in a multidisciplinary way.

Holly Thorpe & Katie Schofield from the University of Waikato

Holly Thorpe & Katie Schofield from the University of Waikato Photo: RNZ/Claire Concannon

3:45 The Panel with Nalini Baruch and Andrew Clay